Hot water storage for power generation



A ril 25, 1 933. F w GAY 1,905,085

HOT WATER STORAGE FOR POWER GENERATION Filed April 28, 1950 N IN VEN TOR ATTORNEY I Patented Apr. 25, 1933 FRAZER GAY;IOIE}1\TEWAVLRK, NEW JERSEY;

ne man sron eenron rowan ememm I This invention relates to a novel method of generating power for s p 1 ing pea1 loads involving the use of storagetank or i underground storagefre'servoiri" a charging 5 boiler andgantilizing steam turbine, The.

advantages ofsucha storage plantfand the disadvantages .of methods norm-commonly 7 used, are fully explained in'my pendingpatent application SerialNo: 446,489,

It is an objectv of my invention to "utilize the major part ofthe heat stored'in a high ndlcate correspondui'g parts.

pressure storage reservoir ,in the form of hot water, in such a manner that stealn is sup bine at substantially constant temperature and pressure and at a rate proportional to the requirements of the'lo'ad. p

Itis a further objectof this invention .to provide a series of vaporization chambers through which, the stored hot Water passes on its Way tothefcold well; The pressures of ,these several vaporization I chambers" are maintained at successively lower temperatures and pressures. portion of the hot water it passes through these chambers,

flashes into steam, extracting heat from the water in its passage; so that the Water when. itle'aves the last such vap0rizationohamber5 3 has a temperature below the boiling point. The steam from each vaporization chamber is conductedto turbine stages suitable to its? temperatureandpressure- 1 moisture present inthe exhaust Will not be sufficient to injure the high speed buckets; A

It is a further object of this invention to;

40 control the rate of flow of the Water through 1 the" vaporization chambers in accordance wlith the'demand onthesystem for power.

Other objects of this invention, not at p I this time more particularly enumerated,W1ll. be clearly understood from'the following de-- tailed description I of the same.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the' accompanying"drawing, in which [i Fig. 1* is a schematic *viewun elevationj with parts broken away, illustrating a power re'h eateri plied to the variousstages of a steam turan enlargedvievv With-parts br ken j'avvay of an underground hot, Water reservoir and associated structure; and '1 is'anl enlarged sectional view ofa vaporization chamber. f 1 l F'g; 4"is an-enlar'ged sectional'vievv' of the e i ti li mi n mploying a e n a g; V

Similar characters reference emf ployedin all of the "above describediviews, to

i Figure 1 illustrates the invention partly in elevation and partly in cross section. boiler 1 supplies its output of steam during off peak load periods as, for eX'ainple,[d uring the nighttime through pipe 2iandj 'valve p imp :6 supplies boiler 1 with feed watt-1' i This ater is taken from cold well 13 that carried by pipe 14 to feedwater pumps 11';

1 and theexcess feed WaterfloWs byway ofz valve l7'and .pipes 18 and 25 into the huge: underground reservoir [20, Where it accu- It vis a further object of this invention toimulates throughout the lofl: peak lpermd" so 35 superheat the 'steam passing tonthelast;

stages of the turbine; so that theamountof the :morning, valvesB, 15, and l7 are closed' i andivalves -50 ,i22 and 26 are opened, so that: boiler feedpump 6' receiveswater subst'an tially at boiler temperature,irom the huge underground reservoir 20, converts this Water into steamat a desired-high 'pressure,

for example; 2000 lbs. 'per square'inch and 9 23','valves 16 and 22, pipe 53,;reheater 38 v "(shown in section-in Fig.4) and water separator'52' and valve 51 to turbine 24. Some steam passes by way of valve 21,and pipe 25 to displace the water 'leavingreservoir 20. During heavyload periods a, deep well pump 88 (see Fig. 2) 'of the-centrifugaltype hav ng a series oi vanes, the construction of which is .well known to those skilled in. the, art is preferably used-topump'i the hotf 1 .LiilOIl of the heated feed water, into pipe'25.

.water out of reservoir to the pump. 6

: and to a vaporizationbhamber 29 situated 1 adjacent the turbine 24. Pump ;88 isdrlven by an electric motorx'77connected toTpump shaitg ifi This deep'wellpump neednot be used however, because the iintakef pres sure of pump .6 and thepressure invaporization ehmbsge are both considerably low -boiler pressure, and such boilerj lpres sure supplied thro ugh jvalve 21"a nd; pipe to, reservoir 20 is sufficient to forcethe '7 hot water in this reservoir out throughpipe 1 9 to vaporiz ation chamber 29 andl-tothe pump asQ-desired. In suchqinstancesglthe "boiler 2fmay be forced lduring'heavysload *icontrolsithe flow of hot'water leaving reser 1 1 voir 20 injitspassage through thevaporizaitioqn chambers 29,30, 31, 32-, 33,36, 57, '58,- ."59 andf60. Each of these vaporizationl chambers :are connected V to a stage of the turbine. float 79 in each evaporation chamberplosesa valve' 8l con-'- maeatt fio'at. 79,,byrod '80f'when' the w'ater' .f flfljeveldrops and opens thevalve-81-whenithe 'a nd"4l' (see Figs. land Reheater 88,; I

650 F. 1s supplied from reservo'ir 20 during:

sure 'stean1 leaves reheater BS by pipe 41. 'and'driveslow pressure turbine 42. Tur birie isimechanic'ally connected tocgen erator 43., Turbine-142 exhausts into-Icon- .dens er;44.. .Pump 45. pumps the conden l satel 'fr oml condenser 44 into cold well: i The warm water leaving vaporization .cham- -,ber is also pumped into cold well 13 by lower-g through-pipe 1 9.

periods j so that the I increased s team pres sure in pipe ,25-will fall the more readily drive the hot water in reservoir 20 out Valve 154,-is operated;b yi gov ernbr 5b "and water levelrrises (see Fig. ,3), so as'to main- 2 tain aconstant water level b Controllingthe out flow. 1

Turbine 24 'drives generator and. .exhausts into reheater. 38 byway of pipes 35 is heated by boiler steam led in bylypipe 53 which connects with pipe :23 and condensed high pressure steam flows by pipe 40 to 'water separatoi- 52. Super heated low pres v pu p 1 Theloperat valve'si22iand 26 are closed and the'large 1 load turbines24; an d42 are shutdown.

ion of this. invention is t folstages of turbine 4 are shown bled into feed water heaters 7, 18, 9,10 whichtact ascenv den'sers for turbine Thegfeed water-"is pumped by the four feed water pumps; markedll and .a portion is then pumped by ump 6 into boiler 1;. The major portion of the feed Water flows through valve 17 and pipe 18 into the steam pipeg25. The series .The major part of the steam leavingboiler 1 l flows by way of valve 3to turbine 4. Four oiipumps 11 servetd force this major por-u 1 5 against the pressure of the boilersteam therein; Boiler steam flows through valve 7 21 intopipe 25;-s'o that thefeed water leaving pipe 18 is further heated by boiler'steami as it flows down 'i nto'r'eservoir 20. the

boiler l' because the: steam bled off of turbine 4- i'nto tlie' feedwater heaters 7 to 10 plus.

the steam "supplied, thrpughpipe25 to the been converted to mechanical power by'tur bine 4*and some heat willhave been lost radiationand thermal conduction;

.ghdl 'Dm'ing vheaoy load pem'o 'al v V Va1ve-5O-wi1l be opened and valves'S, 17 1 10p 11 will be shut down, The' 'steamin'gfca and 15 will be closed. Turbine .4 andpumps a). Hdjtjlwatr going into r e iw i g ter' l I 411111 t QQU ty 0t steamf consumedbyftur: bine j A relativelysinall amount will have pacity of boiler l willbeflincreased; sin'ceit is now receiving v r hetwater,fro reser voir 2O instead'of water 350] degrees Fahren-' heit or more cooler from'feedwaterheater- 10.- This will beapparent when itris realizedthat water from' feed water heater 10 p; at 350 to 450 is heated approximately- 200 F. or to" 650 F. byboiler steam supplied through valve 21gand pipe"25 during light load periods. This water at approximately heavy loa dperiods, while during light load periods the-boiler feedwa't'er is supplied directly from heater 10 at from 350 to 450 F.-

If deep well-pump 188 ,is; not used the pressure is preferably allowed to rise in reserboiler lif necessary, or 'until'theincrease in pressure exerted through pipe 25 is more than enough to raise hotwaterin pipe. 19 1 up to governor V valvei54. When deep well g f pump 88is usedit is;notjnelcessary to depend-1 onvtheboiler'pressureito raise the water from. v reservoir 20vto valve 5Oas'lthispump '88 will e then do this work. Valve 22 is now opened slowly and steam will pass through pipe 53, 'through'jthe high pressure coils in reheater :38 and-through pipe 40,to water separator 52; Dry saturated steam... passes. :by; way. of pipe 71 through governori'valve-v51 tofltun bine 24., Valve. 51 isopenedand closed by arm 62. Arm 62 ispulleddownragainstadj ustable threaded stop ,743; by; spring .64.

Hand wheel 72 controlsp stopw73and fixes the: amount valve 51 may be opened'at any de: sired value. A, conventional governor 55, is

boiler 1 in the usualjmannenlvalve 26 -,is

opened preferably byzhand [and my. novel method of using very hot waterto supply a considerable portion of thenecessary energy,

for peak load comes. into operation; Hot

water entering governor valve 54issupplied inamounts required as determined by governor 55. If the speed of turbine 24 is re-- duced by heavy load, governor arm 74 falls and lowers valve arm ;7 5 through the eonnecting rodi76." The lowering; of arm l75p opens valve 54-and allows water atfa ten1-, perature of, sayi635 degrees Fahrenhelt; to;

flow into vaporization, chamber 29. Vaporization chamber 29 is connected; by pipe 1 to .a stage in turbine 24 suitable to the surenormal to chamber 29,:

P e The water admittedbyvalve 29, 30, 31, 32,33, 56, 57, 5s, 59and 60. -The -water is pumped from chamber 60 into cold well 13 by pump .61. Pump 61 is required,

since chambers 59 and; 60will generally under less than atmospheric pressuren Bleeder pipes 65,66, 67, 68'and 69 connect turbine stages to Vaporizers 30, 31, 32, 33. and 56. These small-@bleeder pipes, and their associated large steam pipes 35 by-pass'. a small amount of ;steam.- Eachbleeder pipe and its associated steam pipe prefer;

ably by-pass one stage. ,The ,bleeder pipes connect to grooves around the turbine in the 1 following respects. 7 3 1st. The steam bled from {the turbine is dried in evaporators 29,30, 31, .32, 33and 56 and immediately returned tothe turbine to do more mechanical work.': ;Notev:-In

the conventional method heretofore usedthis steam has beenused tofheatfeed wat-eri 2nd. The' bled moisture is available heat to do useful .work. Note: In the conventional method heretofore used the bled moisture has been returned to the boiler with thefeed water.

1notor61. 54 flows in a succession through vaporization chambers.

7 carried through a series of vaporiz ers and-com pelled to give up a. largepercentageofits wIt isto be notedtliat itiis not necessary to:

increase the pressure and-temperature in chamber 20 a during the peak load operation;

if adeep well pump 88is "used toelevate the water from reservoir-20 to valve 545 J When the. pressure is increased in reservoir 20 during' peak load .periods,;- the top water in reservoir 20 heats up approximately 20 degrees Fahrenheit, above the-main .b'ody ofwater,

and it is not possible to raisethis' hot water:

up to valve 54 as solid water, i; e. some of the water will flash into steam. Fig.2 shows av deep well pump havingfa shaft78passing through a stufling boxm83 into'pipe 25 and through a close fitting bearing 84 into pipe 19. A deep well pump 88 of the multi-stage type is mounted on shaft 7 8- at the bottom of pipe 19. a a

i -While many forms of evaporators may be used for 29,30,31, etcx, Fig.3 showsia prea ferred simple form; Theevaporator, in

this case 30 ('Fig. 1 )i,areceives hot water from evaporator 29 as indieated bythearrow andl exhausts'the evaporatedsteam to the turbine through pipe 35. Sma11 pipe 65 .0011- tinuallyfeeds in a mixturekof steam land Water. This steam 'alsopasses-back "to the turbinev by way of pipe3'5, while the water joins the ni'ainbody of water. A large float v79 is attached by shaft 80 to ,valve 81 and opensvalve 81 when the water level rises.

The water levelis kept" very close to its nor mallevel shownat' 82:1"'Thelastevaporator' 60is mades large so as to care for'the water, possible brief stoppage of flow during As manychanges be made I i 6' above -.constructio11 and-many apparently widely different: embodiments of this invention could be made thereof,v it is intended that all matter contained in the above 'de scription or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative andnot in a1 li iti sense, L v

llv at'is claimed is p 1. 111 a'po'wer generating station adapted to r y P a high-pressure boiler,

a huge storage reservoir arranged to store water at hightemperature and pressure; means for utilizing the greater portionof" the energy delivered by said boiler during light load periods toheatwater for storage in a said reservoir, a plurality "of evaporators' arranged 1n ser es, sa1d evaporators being connected to" said storage reservoir durlng heavy load periods so that'hot water fromsaidres ervoir is allowed to pass' in succession through each of said evaporatorsya turbine, having a plurality fof turbine stages, isaicl turbine being pconnectedto receive steam from said boiler during heavy load periods, connecting pipes serving to connect each of said evaporators to a respective stage ofsaid turbine, whereby a portion ofthewaterfrom said reservoir, in passingthr'ough a respec-.

:tive goneof said evaporators, v flashes-{into steam andis delivered through a connectmg pipe. tothe respective turbine stage, thereby augmentingv the; steam supplied: directly fromrthe boiler to said turbine; i

plied to said? reservoir to a-ghigh" temperae ture, aiturbinesarrangedrto be connectedto "receivesteam from-said boiler duringtheavy' load pe-riods, .a plurality of evaporators con-,., nected,-'in series, piping connecting each of. said evaporators. to a respective stage of 'saidgturbine; piping connecting the firstfof said eVa-pora'tors; to said reservoinfor 're- I ceiving' hot-water therefrom during heavyload. periods, a cold Well for: 5 receiving water; from said, evaporators, thewater "from;

' said'reservoir, iii passing through said e'vapa ahugeunderground storage reservoir, uneans i for supplying waterat-high' pressure to said 3 reservoirI during light load period's, means including a direct pipe connectio'nb'etween;

orators; being reduced [in pressure and telnperature instages, thereby producing steam" I that passesthrough-said connecting pipin g' said turbine,'--and nieansconnecting the last i to; the successive stages :of vsaid turbine Jfor.

augmentingthesteam supplied directly from v a-lightjload turbine 'conneet'edto receivesaidbloilen- 13; In a power generating station] adapted to-;carry peak loads, a-high pressureboiler,

said boiler, and said -.reservoirfor1 utilizing steam from said-boiler during light load:

periods for heating the water supplied to- 1'41 b ine-arranged to be connected .to receive):

said reservoir to ahigh temperature, a tursteamfrom said boiler during heavy load periods, a plurality of ev'aporators connected in series, pipingconnectingeach of said 'evaporators to a respectlvewstageof said said evap orators, the water from said reservoir,- in passing through said evaporators,

being reduced in pressure and temperature in ,stages, thereby producing steam that I passes through said connecting piping to the successive stages of said turbine for augment ing the steam supplied directly. from said 1 v boiler, said, direct-;p1pe 'connection' between V supplied to said-evaporators,-thespace left 7 so'thatthehot-water is delivered from said" said: boiler I and ,said reservoir: serving to e I mainta n boileropressure withlrl} sald reser voir iat all times', whereby as hot water is in said reservoir is filled with; boiler steam,

reservoir;

perature and pressure. 7

Q 4*.5Ina powergenerating station, a boiler, a light load turbinebonnectedjto receive" steam 'fromzsaid boiler,- duringlight load periods, a: feed water heater connected 1 to age reservoir, a cold well, pump means for pumping Waterfrom said cold well through said feed water heater andinto said "reservoir-during light load periods, a.: pipe connectionextendingbetween said boiler and said reservoirfor supplying-steamthereto and to the Water fed into-said reservoir, to

thereby raise such 1 Water "to substantially boiler temperature" andf-pressure, a multi-: V stage" heavy' l'o'a'd' turbine 'connected to re ceive steam from "saidboiler during heavy load eriods, ap'lurality otxevapor'ato'rs 6011-. i a

evaporators 'infsiiccessioni and produces steam in each; ofsaidjevaporators -for us'ein of said evaporators to said cold well. 5:111 a power generating-station; a boiler;

steam from said boiler Eduring light load-p periods} a feed -Water heater connected to j said light load turbine forfreceivin'g steam from the latter,-a hugeundergroundstorage reservoir,- a'cold' well, pump meansfoi' l q pumping water from said 'cold "WellthIQug'h? said'feed ?water heater and 'intosaid reserr ins eh o 'dip air pe I fi tending between said fboiler and" 7 res saidreservoir for supplying steam thereto and to 'thewater fed," into said"reservoir, to thereby'raisesuch' water to substantially boil: er temperature andpressure; a multi-high' stage heavy load turbine'oconnected to receive steam from said boiler during heavy load:

periods, a plurality of evaporators connect ed n series, p plngconnecting said evapor'a tors respectively to respective stages of said turblne, means for" connecting the first of sa d evaporators to said reservoir during heavy loadpe'riods, pump 'means'ior pumping hot water from said 'reservolrs to said;

evaporators, whereby hot water from said a by such water isl delivered from-said rese'randpressure. j; I 16. In a power generating station; adaptedto carry peak loads, La-high,v pressure. -boiler,

- voir atfsubstantially constant temperature said 'light'lo ad turbine' for receiving steam '7 vfrom the latte'r", a huge underground storheavy load periods and for utilizing the a huge storage reservoir arranged to store Water at high temperature and pressure, means for utilizing the greater portion of the energy delivered by said boiler during light load periods to heat water to boilerevaporating temperature and pressure for storage in said reservo r, means for drawing the hot Water from said reservoir durlng heat in said drawn Water, conduit means for supplying steam from said boiler to said reservoir to displace the hot water thus drawn off, whereby the temperature and pressure of fluid in said huge storage reservoir is maintained substantially at boiler evaporating temperature and pressure at all times. 1 a .7

FRAZER W. GAY. 

